Tag: family holiday to Corfu

With the British weather serving up precious few sunny days so far this year, many frustrated sun-worshippers are getting out their diaries and trying to find a few free days to get away for some warm weather elsewhere.

This week, we take a close look at a few of the most popular beaches on Corfu, the best known of the Ionian Islands and one of the greenest in the Greek archipelago making it perfect for a family holiday Corfu has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The majority, predictably, are permanently littered with tourists during daylight house, but a few of the island’s beaches are rather more secluded and therefore escape the rowdy side of the summer onslaught.

If you particularly like holidays where the atmosphere is buzzing and you don’t mind sharing your sea view with other like-minded individuals, then the vast majority of the island’s resorts are likely to fit the bill. Corfu has made the most of the foreign interest in its coastal attractions and has cashed in on the tourist boom, adorning the northern coves with resorts, pubs and discos. A huge range of accommodation is on offer along the coastline, with hotels, apartments and campsites to suit all budgets.

If you plan on combining nightlife with baking in the sun, then Kavos might well be the place for you. Located in the south of the island, 47 miles from the capital Corfu Town, Kavos has a 2 km long sandy beach, which is always very busy in the day, along with several bars and clubs. Unsurprisingly, it is popular with young British holiday-makers who simply want to spend their nights partying and their days sleeping it off under the Greek sun.

The neighbouring resort of Aghios Petros offers a slightly more gentle pace of life, although it is still close enough to Kavos to give you access to the more frenzied nightlife. It is located just one mile away from Kavos and is connected to its livelier cousin by a sweeping stretch of beach. While Kavos tends to appeal to singles and party groups, Aghios Petros is more suited to older couples and young families, and the shallow water provides safe swimming for youngsters.

One of the most popular areas of the island is Kanoni, which is located about four km from Corfu Town. Kanoni is perhaps best known for the Vlacherna Monastery, which is located in the middle of the bay on a small island. It is ideally set up for tourists, having numerous hotels and tourist attractions.

Travelling further south, you will find Benitsis, an old town with a lively atmosphere. The resort offers the best of both worlds, being reasonably quiet but with some good bars and eating places. The beach itself is quite small but there is plenty of entertainment going on, with several good tavernas. Corfu Town is also an easy bus journey away from the resort.

Paleokastritsa, or Paleo, is located on the west of the island, 16 miles from Corfu Town. The village is regarded as one of the most beautiful on the island and boasts six sandy coves, all lined with olive trees and green forests. The waters offer exceptional swimming and snorkelling, and there are several good walking routes around the hilly countryside. The sheltered bays of Paleo provide the ideal place for a lazy beach holiday and the resort has plenty of bars and tavernas, with little in the way of heavy nightlife.

Another popular beach resort on the west coast of Corfu is Ermones, a long sandy beach offering the usual sun beds, umbrellas and water sports. As with all of the popular resorts on the island, you are unlikely to have difficulty finding accommodation to suit your needs as the area has a large range of hotels and some decent restaurants.

For those who want to avoid fellow Brits as much as possible, there are a few places where the ambience is more tranquil. Barbati is a pebble and shingle beach with shallow water and good showering and changing facilities. Another nice beach is Kerasia which is again very child friendly and provides an escape from partying youths.

A range of cheap flights visit Corfu throughout the summer months, making it an ideal destination for a short break. Many holiday-makers choose to hire a car while in Corfu so as to make the most of the scenery and provide themselves with an easy way of getting around the island. However, it is also possible to get around by bus or local taxi.

With such a fine range of beaches and near-guaranteed fine weather, why stick around and make do with Britain’s cloudy skies when you could be spreading your beach towel next to the clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea.